President of the Russian Federation stakes 2007
Äàòà 5/7/2007 15:00:00 | Òåìà: English
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The best elder horses of Russia were brought to the Rostov Racetrack to compete in the President’s Day races. As for the classic generation, most of them are being prepared to the Derby, which is always a top priority. Most of them are not mature to face elder campaigners at the 2000 meters distance. Most of them, but not all...
This time the meeting was attended by Presidents of Russia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and even Venezuela, accompanied by these countries’ leading politicians. The day’s first thoroughbred contest was a 1400 meters sprint named the Rostov Racetrack Race. It produced major disappointment as the two key contenders fell out of the pack. First was the Moscow Sprinters Stakes taker Williams who suffered a training setback. And then followed the country’s top sprinter and hot favorite Desert Guest after having missed the kick badly as he did three weeks before in Moscow. Under these circumstances the two highly ranked veterans Mubaah and Fine Silver were set to perform. Earlier Mubaah was owned by Sheikh Hamdan and scored twice in Dubai while Fine Silver was trained in England and won a heritage handicap in Newbury. But both were denied in the homestretch by a three-year-old Lading who went clear by 5 lengths and scored easily. Lading is out of the champion sprinter of the Pyatigorsk Racetrack Ltava who was taken to Germany to be covered by Dashing Blade. At two Lading scattered opposition in the Trial and Summer Stakes in Pyatigorsk and then left no chance to elder horses in the Criterium Stakes over 1000 meters. Now it seems that he has the potential to become the best sprinter of Russia.
The President of the Russian Federation Stakes brought together 11 top elder horses and one three-year old. Some international flavour was added by Turkish raider Avsarbeyi who has already scored three times this term in his home country. From the start it was Avsarbeyi and Ready Set Swing who hit the front and set a smashing pace. In the backstretch Avsarbeyi was kept under pressure to stay in front which seemed to be a strange tactics as he was completely exhausted before they reached the final turn. At this stage Megapolis engaged pursuit and took second place followed shortly by Mumi Trol, Ters, Mentik and Accessoir. Turning for home Ready Set Swing was passed by Megapolis, Mumi Troll and Ters, but in the home stretch the trio fell apart. The going at Rostov is deeper on the inside than on the outside and this is why all the jockeys preferred to stay wide. But Alexander Ivanskoi aboard Ters decided to switch tactics and took the inside. Thus, Ters got a 5 length advantage and battled bravely to keep it up to the line. Mumi Trol on his third attempt finished an honorable second as he did in 2005 while a rank outsider Accessoir took third.
Ters turned out to be an outstanding performer, he is the first ever three-year-old to capture the big prize and obviously a thrilling breeding prospect. Jockey Club Racing team did really well to seize the trophy on their fourth attempt.
Finally the 2000 meters Southern Federal District Race produced the day’s most thrilling finish. It was contested by a six-year-old Lamborn who took part in all three previous runnings of the Presidents’ Stakes and scored in 2005 beating Mumi Trol and Akbash. Another big name here was Ugolek who scored in last year’s Kazan Derby and Elbrus Cup, but currently he is as well as Lamborn far from his best condition.
Koolman scored a big win in Moscow on the Monte-Carlo Grand Prix day, but his next outing on the Guineas day a fortnight later day was disappointing. Unlike him Retrospector was unraced at two and stayed out of big clashes at three. Now he is really improving with every race which he proved by winning Elite Stakes in Moscow beating Dits and Accessoir. Finally homebred Erdenet has scored twice this term in Rostov beating Mumi Trol in the Entrance Stakes in May. And it was Erdenet who took the lead after the break, but this time the pace wasn’t so cracking as in the big one. Erdenet stayed well throughout the race and in the homestretch his jockey took “Ters’s path” on the inside while Retrospector cruised on the stand side. At the line it was tight between Erdenet and Retrospector and only photofinish showed that Retrospector had won it by a short head.
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